ABSTRACT
Most sociologists in the United States have been vaguely aware that sociology, along with the rest of the academy, was not exempt from such surveillance. For anyone familiar with Talcott Parsons's reputation and work, even to entertain the notion that he was the leader of a Communist cell is unimaginable. However, information obtained through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) reveals that he was just one of many of America's most prominent sociologists subject to surveillance by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Historians appear to be the largest group of FOIA users, while sociologists seem to have virtually ignored it. Several barriers might help to explain this lack of use by sociologists. The process of obtaining information is a tedious one and most sociologists lack familiarity with the governmental and information environment which must be traversed. Using "confidential sources," FBI agents obtained a copy of the counter-convention call issued by The Insurgent Sociologist.
